We are picking up our new Getaway this afternoon. Planning on sailing her on Sunday. Is there any words of wisdom out there for a newbie to the Hobie Cat. This is my first Hobie Cat. I have been sailing Monohulls since the age of well, a long time... LOL. We are very excited! I can't stop watching the video of the boat on the website. LOL..

I have not personally sailed a Getaway yet, but the biggest differences I notice on the cats versus the mono's is the speed at which everything happends and the tacking.

For the speed, you'll get used to it very quickly.

As for tacking, my advice is to backwind the jib until the battens in the mainsail "pop" across. Then, let the main out a few inches and bring the jib over and you will be back on your way. I use this procedure on both the 16 and the 18. I am a pleasure sailer so I don't have any racing techniques to impart on this subject.

For more bits of info, I would reccommend reading through this forum and reading your owner's manual. Read more than just in the Getaway forum. You will find hints a tips from sailors of other boats as well.

Go out with a friend and don't be afraid to tip'er over (recommend light winds). This is the biggest difference from a mono hull. If you don't have enough wind to get it over, then grab a shroud line and pull it over. Make sure to follow the instructions in the owners manual with righting procedures, and try to right it by yourself. If not, use your friend. The reason I mention this is a few days ago I was flying a hull and I burried the leeward hull and went over. I had to wait for almost an hour for someone to come and rescue me. I have never been able to right the Getaway by myself (150 pounds wet) and it was no exception that day. I have tried water buckets with no success. So most of the time I take it easy by myself. With a friend it's another story.

Unless the wind is ferocious, the Getaway is a very forgiving boat; much more stable than the H16. Heed Nick's earlier advice on taking, it will spare you getting the boat stuck in iron too many times.

I've sailed many monohulls and cats, and I prefer the cats flat out for day sailing. They're faster and more fun than monohulls, and in the light winds of the Puget Sound, they're the only way to get moving with reasonable speed.

My family had a blast on the water this past Sunday. We had a total of 6 onboard and plenty of room to spare. All I can say is WOW! This boat can accelerate like nobody's business. Now, this comes from a Mono hull guy. LOL. The kids had a blast up on the forward tramp. My wife, who really didn't like sailing, loves it now. Yeah! I will say this. I have blisters on both hand from the lines and the tiller stick. TIME FOR GLOVES! LOL.. The stock stick is really slippery. I'm ordering the foam handle to add a little comfort to it. I think the gloves will help too. We're planning a trip to the Indian River Bay in DE. That's where I uses to sail my mono. Lot's of wind and water. Yaaaa Hoooo!

It's great that your family enjoyed it. Makes it easier to get time on the water.

If you are willing to travel to the Bay Bridge in MD, there is a decent launch and state park called Sandy Point. I sail my H18 from there on most Saturdays. The beach craft launch is free, you can bring BBQ's or try to get one of the few park provided pits, and there is plenty of beach to relax on while not on the boat. I like it because when the fiancee gets tired of sailing I can drop her off on the beach and go back out. We usually make a day of it. The wind has always been as predicted and it is right next to Thomas Point Light so the weather readings are right on.

The Getaway is a great boat! I love it more every time I go out sailing. Like every boat, it has its quirks - here are the few that I have noticed, and here's how I deal with them:
1) From what I have gathered, the Getaway capsizes most often by pitchpoling, or at least doing a handstand. I avoid this by keeping my eyes peeled on the leeward bow in heavy wind or waves. The bow digs deeper into the water as speed increases, and if it gets buried in a wave, pitchpole (or handstand). As soon as I see the bow on course with a wave in heavy winds or about to completely submerge, I head up and/or let out.

2) The Getaway does not like to head up on its own. If you are on a reach and drop the tiller, does your Getaway just keep going in a straight line? To make the boat want to head up, I rig the mast so far aft that I can 2-block the main-sheet. This also helps in heavy winds.

With the Laser, you can find yourself in a situation where there is no way to correct that does not result in a capsize. The Getaway never puts you in that position. You can always head up or let out enough to avoid a capsize, if you want. It's such a great boat.

Two words.. Holy Crap! This boat flys! Had the whole family out on it and boy were we moving. The wife and girls got a little cold after an hour, so I dropped them off at the ramp and they headed back to the house and my son and I went back out. Holy Smokes! As soon as we passed the cove and hit the open water, Wow! She took off like a bat outta hell! Yaaaaaa Hoooo! My son and I were laughing so hard we couldn't believe it. I had the mast raked back pretty good. Didn't experience the leeward hull diving. It was ripping through the water like a hot knife through butta.. Like butta! LOL. We tried to get the hull to fly but I guess we didn't have enought wind. Or I was pinching the boat a bit. What tack with the hull fly the best on??? Broad Reach? Beam Reach? What a great boat! I've never sailed that fast in my life! What a rush... I'm sure there is more speed in there somewhere.

Bear off from close hauled till you start powering up. Keep the sheets tight and the traveler centered. Depending on the crew weight of course, you should be able to fly a hull in 10-12 knots. May have to sit further down the tramp. In light air, I sit with one foot on the mast (at the forward x bar). The foot on the mast keeps me from slipping down the tramp of course, but also gets my weight inboard a bit.

Had my getaway really going this weekend with 3 big guys onboard. My GPS showed us doing 17MPH. Winds were 25MPH with gusts. Didn't fly the hull as I don't feel comfortable quite yet but will get to it.

One of the other sailors has a Hunter 216, he was dry but I WON the race. I know the odds were stacked but a win is a win for me being I just started sailing in June.